Friday, 28 November 2014

Sibling Trickery

Here is one of the sibling photos from a recent newborn session. The little boy is just 15 months old, so getting him to sit still for more than a few seconds was tricky. This is a great safe way to pose younger siblings together. 




However... I do not always have my wooden backdrop in the studio setting for newborn sessions. Its heavy and if I think it will only be in use for one shot, I photoshop it in later.  Also, in the interest of safety, I always have a parent in arms reach of a newborn in a prop like this basket, and in this instance, the other parent was helping to keep Mr 15 months from running off. 

So here is how the photo looked straight out of the camera

Click image for full frame view



My philosophy is always safety first. Yes a beautiful photo will last a lifetime, but an injury can too, and it is never worth the risk in my opinion. 

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Monday, 24 November 2014

Lesson: Be More Specific

So I had a session with teenage boys this weekend.  After doing the standard "standing-together" pose and the "arm-around-each-other" pose I said,  "Hey, why don't you punch him in the ribs... you know like this?" 

Im gesturing how I imagine it will go. Im thinking "Pretend, gentle, brothers smiling and leaning in towards the camera" kind of a photo. In my head it looks great!

Next thing a full power fist goes flying to his brothers ribs!!  

An audible  "UGH" comes from Older Brother.

"WHOAH WHOAH STOP!!" comes from me and their Mum! 

"I meant a pretend one!! Don't hurt each other!!" Im horrified!

Younger Brother is stoked. Older Brother is not impressed. 


Oh. My. Gosh.  

Lesson learned - Be More Specific. Next time say "Hey, do a PRETEND, GENTLE, PLAY punch in the ribs." 

You can see it all play out here:



Saturday, 22 November 2014

Behind the scenes - Park Edition

When you see a beautiful photo, you often think it must be taken in a beautiful location. Sometimes it is. Sometimes, its just the side of the road. Here is my daughter dancing in a sun-drenched field in a pretty dress, blowing dandelions....






So of course we are out in a meadow, there are birds tweeting, butterflies fluttering, the warm summer breeze rustling the grass. Or we are here ... 








My neighbours overgrown grass verge. The sweet sounds of delivery vans driving by, dogs barking and roadworks clanking in our ears. 


Sometimes what makes a photo lovely is what you don't show. Sometimes the most lovely locations can photograph poorly due to the light or other circumstances, and seemingly blah locations can photograph amazingly because it all just looks right in camera. 


You might have amazing backdrops in your own overgrown back yard after all! 



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Wednesday, 19 November 2014

The Sweetest Siblings

Oh the sweetness that filled my home studio last week!!  This little cherub and her 15 month old brother were just too cute to handle! I had the joy of photographing him when he was born last year, and now with his little sister too.  Obviously at 15 months it is hard to sit still, so I will share a behind-the-scenes edit of one of these sibling photos in an upcoming post. 













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Saturday, 15 November 2014

Flash, not so Flash


If you have signed up for the monthly newsletter (which you should because it is LOADED with freebies, discounts, first choice of upcoming sessions and photography tips) you would have seen this wee tip in last months edition. All about the flash. 

Your camera is probably pre-set to have auto flash on, which is handy, but doesnt always take the best photo for portraits. Its right on the top of the camera and will leave funny shadows and take away ones that are meant to be there. You will notice professionals only use "off camera flash" because this makes for much more natural photos. 

Here is an example of the pop-up flash on top of your camera, vs no flash:



So remember, for more natural looking photos of people, have it turned off unless you really need it, like at night.  And if you haven't yet signed up for the newsletter - do it now! You will find the link at the bottom of every page on my website: 

Sunday, 9 November 2014

More Jacaranda Love

I just love the beautiful purple jacaranda trees all in boom here in Brisbane at the moment.  This was my first session with a 3 month old outdoors (usually I photograph babies under 1 year old in the studio setting) but his photos in the park are just so beautiful I will definitely be offering more outdoor sessions for younger babies, especially in summer while it is so lovely and warm.  What great photos this family have just in time for framing and gifting for Christmas!












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Monday, 3 November 2014

Happy Birthday

This gorgeous family decided to celebrate their Mum's 80th birthday with a photography session. I could just stare all day at the photo of "Mum and Dad" looking at each other - so much love! 













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